Packing up Portraits of Honour: Cambridge memorial on the move
A Cambridge memorial that pays tribute to Canada’s fallen soldiers is on the move.
The Portraits of Honour oil painting, created by the late Dave Sopha, along with his military memorabilia lives in a space within the Kin Canada building in Cambridge. But on March 14, the city received council approval to take ownership of the building.
That means Terri Sopha, Dave’s daughter, has to pack up the paintings which her father put tens of thousands of hours into, along with all of his military tributes.
“The thought of taking this down is so overwhelmingly intimidating,” Sopha said, looking up at her father’s painting. “I don't sleep sometimes at night because I think about how we're doing it.”
She says the city has given her until May 19 to clear out the space. But she says they are willing to give her a few extra days if needed. The city also isn’t leaving her without a place to go.
“Most of my memorabilia is coming with me and we are going to the old Scout House building in Preston on Queenston Road,” said Sopha.
Word of the new space has provided a sense of relief for Sopha because she feared she would not only have to pack away her father’s legacy, but the legacy of the 158 faces on the Portraits of Honour.
ORIGINAL WORK TO BE PUT IN STORAGE
Here’s the catch, the original piece won’t be coming with her to the new location. She will be downsizing from her current space of about 3,200 sq. ft. to around 2,000 sq. ft.
“The building is not big enough, the ceilings are not high enough. They're eight-foot ceilings, this [painting] is 11.5-feet-high, and 43-feet in length,” she says.
Sopha is thankful though, saying the city has offered to help create a replica of her father’s famed artwork to fit in the new space. She says they’ve also provided experts with advice on how to safely preserve the massive painting. Still, it doesn’t make the thought of putting the original in storage any easier.
“Knowing my father the way that I did, he would be so worried about the transition,” she said through tears.
Terri is exploring options to find a permanent place for the painting. One possibility she has considered is selling it to the federal government, so it can be displayed in a national museum and enjoyed by the entire country.
In the meantime, while all her father’s work won’t be under the same roof, she knows he’ll be by her side every step of the way – as will all the soldiers commemorated in the Portraits of Honour.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.